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Master of Public Health MPH

Distance learning programme

Set yourself up for a meaningful public health career on this flexible, interactive online Master’s degree. Taught by a world-leading university for public health, you will get to grips with pressing global health challenges and develop essential in-demand skills to deliver practical public health solutions. 

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£20,500
£10,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£20,500
£10,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
All applicants: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of upper second-class degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject (social, life, biomedical or clinical sciences). Applicants are recommended to have a background in a numerical subject (e.g. AS/A level Mathematics/Statistics or a mathematical/statistics/quantitative undergraduate module). Candidates who do not meet the academic standard and/or subject backgrounds but who have more than two years relevant professional experience (can be a combination of voluntary and paid work) may be considered for admission.

The English language level for this course is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree



If you’re looking to make your mark in public health, this online Master’s degree is an excellent foundation. 

A contemporary course sitting at the leading edge of this field, you will get to work with UCL’s renowned academics, public health practitioners and citizens who’ve been affected by public health issues.

The degree blends classical population health sciences with an innovative interdisciplinary approach to help you explore the big picture. Using research and evaluation methods in health, you will learn about diverse preventative approaches for improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of populations.  

With a strong emphasis on equity and inclusion, you will get to grips with understanding and tackling health inequalities. You will also hone your skills in leadership and communication, and learn how to take a practical, comparative and creative approach to solving public health issues in high-, middle- and low-income countries.  

Who this course is for

This course is for new or recent graduates looking for a career-focused Master’s degree that will enable you to bring knowledge and expertise to your future public health careers. The course is also suitable for individuals already working in the public health field, who are pursuing career progression and further learning and development. 

It is ideal preparation for those planning to take the UK Faculty of Public Health Diplomate Examination. We have students from all over the world taking advantage of our flexible and interactive fully online course. 

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

  • Study at a university ranked 9th in the world (QS World Rankings 2026), 3rd in the world for public health (ShanghaiRankings 2024) and number one for research power and impact in medicine, health and life sciences (REF 2021).
  • Flexible online teaching with regular live online classes, events and meetings with staff and students around the world. The MPH prides itself on making students' learning in an online environment feel connected and part of the UCL community. On this course, you will be undertaking the equivalent of a face-to-face Master’s degree, but with the flexibility and accessibility of being fully online. This is particularly beneficial for those who have work, family, and lifestyle commitments.
  • Teaching is delivered by experienced UCL academics from a wide range of backgrounds, as well as public health practitioners, policy makers, advocates and people with lived experience.
  • We offer a varied, modern and comprehensive public health curriculum, with a strong emphasis on applying knowledge and developing in-demand skills for your career. 
  • Study through a mix of multimedia asynchronous learning activities, live online class discussions, group work, and work-place based assessments centred around real-world public health problems. 
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

As a graduate of this course, you’ll be in a strong position for working with government, the healthcare sector or non-governmental organisations. You could progress as a public health practitioner, policy analyst, intelligence officer or advisor.

In particular, your skills will be well-suited to working on courses to improve health, prevent disease outbreaks, or ensure equal access to health services and medicines.

Graduates of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care have gone onto work for organisations such as the NHS, Ipsos MORI, the Department of Health and Social Care, NatCen Social Research, Public Health England, the UK Health Security Agency, the Lancet and the Health Policy Partnership.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 cohorts.

The flexibility of the online MPH has allowed me to continue my career as a Project Coordinator in Lebanon while applying the knowledge I gain directly to my work. I was able to work in emergency response in Lebanon while continuing my education

Marwa is standing in a park on a sunny day. She is looking at the camera and smiling. She has brown eyes and wears a pink headscarf and white shirt.

Marwa

Master of Public Health MPH

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Employability

Our Master of Public Health MPH has been designed around the competency frameworks of the world’s most prestigious healthcare organisations. These frameworks include the UK Faculty of Public Health Specialist Training Curriculum, the UK Faculty of Public Health Diplomate Exam Curriculum, and the WHO-ASPHER Core Competency Framework for Public Health in the European Region. As such, you will graduate from the course with a variety of skills employers working on public health issues need, including how to assess health inequalities and interventions, and how to work with different stakeholder groups, including communities and patients.

With opportunities to hone your leadership style, produce original project work, and develop evidence-based recommendations, the transferable skills you develop will be applicable to many settings.

Networking

Our students come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds from all over the world, providing great online networking opportunities within the course. Students also have the opportunity to join the newly formed Population Health Sciences Student Society and the UCL Online Student Society, which was founded by MPH students. 

During the year, online and hybrid seminars are hosted by the research departments within the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care and UCL Health of the Public. These cover a variety of topics and provide an opportunity to hear from national and international experts and to network with attendees and speakers. MPH students based in or visiting London are also welcome to use UCL campus facilities, attend in-person events, and meet academic staff face-to-face.

Teaching and learning

As a student on this course, you will be provided with self-study materials, such as videos, readings, discussion forums, and independent research tasks, which you complete on your own at your own pace. These ‘asynchronous’ materials form the backbone of your learning and will need to be completed before we come together in a weekly live online class for each module. These ‘synchronous’ live online classes will provide you with opportunities to consolidate and deepen your learning from the asynchronous materials. You will do this through interactive, collaborative, and discussion-based activities with your peers, lecturers, and special guests including interdisciplinary academics, public health leaders, practitioners, and people with lived experience of public health problems.

There is also regular group work throughout the course. Group projects are designed to simulate real-world multi-agency working groups or project committees, providing insights and hands-on practice relating to the actual work of public health practitioners.

The course involves four phases of learning: foundation, expansion, specialisation, and integration, corresponding to the different modules taught in each of the teaching terms on the course (autumn, winter, spring, and summer).

Focussing on the skills that you will need in your future career, this course will give you the opportunity to develop and practice a range of skills through our innovative assessment methods which include 24 hour take-home examinations, written papers, class participation, and individual and group presentations. You will work on assessments related to public health strategy, policy, implementation, stakeholder analysis, and coproduction. You will develop robust plans for research and evaluation and analyse and interpret data. You will hone your critical appraisal and critical thinking skills by applying your knowledge to real-life scenarios. Personal reflective practice, participation, and different methods of communication to different audiences are also taught and assessed on this course. 

An independent capstone dissertation project brings together all strands of learning from the degree, focused on a specific subject area you are interested in. Supported by a UCL project supervisor and often a public health partner organisation, the dissertation is an opportunity to further develop research skills, evidence synthesis, and data interpretation to support public health decision-making.

Full-time students can expect to spend approximately eight hours in live online classes per week. You will then be expected to spend approximately 32 hours per week in self-directed asynchronous learning activities - preparing for live classes, reading, revising and preparing assignments.

As a full-time MPH student, you should consider yourself as working a full-time 40 hour per week job for 12 months with about 3-4 weeks of time off during the year.

For part-time and flexible students, you will study at a pro-rata rate.

Please note that we expect Master of Public Health MPH students to attend all live online sessions.

Modules

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits over one academic year. 

The course consists of seven compulsory modules (120 credits), two optional modules (15 credits each) and a dissertation (30 credits).

For full-time students, live online classes will be held on four days of the week (one day for each module) and you will be offered a choice of attending either the morning or afternoon session to fit with your other commitments and time zone.  

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits over two academic years.

The course consists of seven compulsory modules (120 credits), two optional modules (15 credits each) and a dissertation (30 credits). 

We strongly recommend you begin your course with the Fundamentals of Interdisciplinary Public Health 30 credit module. 

You will not be able to take optional module Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology until you have taken Applied Epidemiology in Term 1 and Health Protection in Term 2. 

You will not be able to take optional module Applied Quantitative Methods until you have completed Applied Epidemiology and Statistics for Public Health, both in Term 1.

For part-time students, live online classes will be held on two days of the week (one day for each module) and you will be offered a choice of attending either the morning or afternoon session to fit with your other commitments and time zone.  

For part-time and flexible students, we have kept pre-requisite modules as minimal as possible to ensure maximum flexibility and we will help to guide you through your module selection to optimise your learning journey.

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits for up to a maximum of five academic years.

The course consists of seven compulsory modules (120 credits), two optional modules (15 credits each) and a dissertation (30 credits). There is no set formula for how many credits you take per year and you may have years where you do not take any credits. 

We strongly recommend you begin your course with the Fundamentals of Interdisciplinary Public Health 30 credit module.

You will not be able to take optional module Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology until you have taken Applied Epidemiology in Term 1 and Health Protection in Term 2.

You will not be able to take optional module Applied Quantitative Methods until you have completed Applied Epidemiology and Statistics for Public Health, both in Term 1.

For part-time and flexible students, we have kept pre-requisite modules as minimal as possible to ensure maximum flexibility and we will help to guide you through your module selection to optimise your learning journey.

Compulsory modules










Optional modules






Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MPH in Master of Public Health.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Visit us

All open days and events

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Online - Open day

Book a 1-2-1 about Master of Public Health MPH

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Book a 1-2-1 with Dr Denes Stefler, Co-Director of the Master of Public Health MPH. Denes will be happy to answer any questions you might have about the programme, careers or studying at UCL. If the available slots are not suitable, please email 'iehc.public-health-mph@ucl.ac.uk' to ask for an alternative slot. Our academics set aside time from their busy teaching and research schedules to speak to prospective students.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Master of Public Health MPH

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Studying at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care opens doors to impactful careers across healthcare, research and policy. Join our virtual open events to explore our Master’s degrees in Public Health, meet Programme Directors, and learn how to make your application stand out.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £20,500 £10,250
Tuition fees (2026/27) £20,500 £10,250

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a £350 deposit will be charged.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a £500 deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Students will need access to a reliable internet connection and a computer or laptop that can run specialist software such as STATA for data analysis. We recommend complying with UCL technical requirements for students. If you do not have access to a laptop or computer that complies with these requirements, this may present an additional cost to students. A brand-new laptop in the UK can cost between £500 - £1000, but this will vary depending on where you live and whether you purchase new or second-hand IT equipment. Specialist software that are required for your studies (i.e. STATA) will be available for free download from UCL.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

We offer two scholarships annually which will support applicants who have demonstrated financial need, who have lived experience of inequality, and who show great promise for population health impact. The IMPACT scholarship will contribute towards the recipient’s full-time fees to study on the MPH course. Part-time and flexible students are also eligible to apply, but the award may not fully cover the course costs if fees increase in the future.

Please note that this is a very competitive scheme. 

If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

MPH IMPACT Scholarship

Deadline: 30 June 2025
Value: £20,500 towards tuition fees ()
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

MSc Health Psychology Jane Wardle Studentship

Value: £3,750 towards tuition fees ((pro-rata if part-time) (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

MSc Population Health Studentship

Deadline: 27 June 2025
Value: £2,500 (1 year)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

MSc Studentship in Social Epidemiology

Deadline: 27 June 2025
Value: £2,500 (1 year)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

The MSc Dental Public Health Aubrey Sheiham Scholarship

Deadline: 27 June 2025
Value: £2,500 (home students); £5,000 (overseas students) (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this course match what the course will deliver.

When we assess your personal statement we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study public health at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study public health at UCL.
  • What particularly attracts you to the MPH course.
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging course.
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Frequently asked questions

Question: Do I need a UK visa to study on the MPH course?
Answer: No, you don't need a UK visa to study on this course. Similarly, admission to this course cannot be used to support your visa application to the UK. This is because the course is delivered fully online, therefore students are not required to be physically in the UK to attend teaching sessions.

Question: As a student who is studying online, can I visit UCL campus and/or attend the graduation ceremony in person?
Answer: Yes, if you live in London or come for a short visit at any point during your studies, you are very welcome to visit the UCL campus. If you want to use the on-site facilities (e.g. Library, Student Centre) you will need to pick up your UCL ID card first. You can also arrange to meet your personal tutor and attend the graduation ceremony in person, should you wish to. Please note that we cannot support visa applications for these visits.

Question: Are any of the classes taught in-person?
Answer: No, the course is fully online, and none of the classes are taught in-person. However, you will be expected to attend live online classes on Zoom. These will take place once a week for each of the taught modules (maximum of four times per week for full-time students).

Question: What will my degree certificate say?
Answer: Upon successful completion of the MPH course, your degree certificate will state that you have been awarded the Master of Public Health degree. It will also show the classification of your degree, i.e. whether it is “Pass”, “Merit” or “Distinction”. It does not include the mode of attendance. 

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care
Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care

IEHC.public-health-mph@ucl.ac.uk

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